The walnut (Juglans regia) not only looks similar to the human brain, but is also extremely healthy for your brain, your heart and its performance. Just like other nuts , such as almonds or hazelnuts, walnuts are rich in important nutrients and healthy fatty acids. Therefore, nuts should be an integral part of a healthy diet.
The scientific name Juglans regia means real walnut or walnut. The name of the walnut comes from the Old German "Welsche" as the nut came to Germany via France and Italy.
In this blog post, you will learn where the walnut (Juglans regia) comes from, how the walnut grows and is harvested. In addition, we will explain what nutrients are contained in walnuts and why they can even increase the performance of your brain. We will also provide you with tips on how to easily incorporate walnuts into your diet and integration.
Where does the walnut actually come from?
Walnuts are a very old food that has been around for about 9,000 years. The walnut is believed to have originated in Syria . Today, walnuts are grown in almost every part of the world, including Europe. That's why the walnut is also a native nut.
How does the walnut grow?
Walnuts grow on walnut trees, which can grow up to 30 meters high. However, it can take a few years for a walnut tree to bear fruit for the first time, and the harvest of walnuts can also vary from year to year. The walnuts do not simply grow in the usual shell on the tree, but are surrounded by a green shell on the tree.
The walnuts ripen in September . Once the walnut is ripe, this shell bursts open and the walnuts gradually fall from the shell to the ground. When harvesting larger quantities of walnuts, blowers are also usually used, which suck in the nuts and also remove fruit peel residues.
How are walnuts actually processed?
Once the walnuts have been harvested, they must next be washed and dried. Walnuts should be dried in a dry, airy place at about 20 to 25 degrees. It is also important that the walnuts are mixed regularly during drying. Walnuts can be stored in a fruit box, in fine nets or in jute bags and have a shelf life of up to 8 months. The nuts should be stored at 10 to 15 degrees in a place with low humidity. When the walnuts have dried, they can be processed into a wide variety of products.
What nutrients are in walnuts?
Walnuts are a real superfood as they contain many healthy nutrients. In particular, the proportion of omega-3 fatty acids, lecithin, and antioxidants is very high and therefore makes walnuts particularly healthy.
Walnuts for the heart and brain?
The walnut (Juglans regia) is particularly known for its high content of omega-3 fatty acids. Find out here how fatty acids, such as omega-3, help the heart and brain. In particular, a certain fatty acid is contained in walnuts in a particularly large amount: alpha-linolenic acid (a form of fatty acids). This fatty acid is a polyunsaturated fatty acid that the body cannot produce itself and must therefore be supplied through food. The fatty acid in walnuts protects our body from free radicals and can also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Walnuts are good for you and your brain
The walnut also contains a high proportion of lecithin. This ingredient is then further converted by the body to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is why
the walnut can also increase the performance and concentration of your brain
.
Your heart will also benefit.
Full of antioxidants
Antioxidants are also present in walnuts in larger amounts. They protect our body from free radicals and
can therefore also protect you from a variety of diseases
.
But not only the number of antioxidants is particularly high in walnuts, but also the quality of the antioxidants contained in the walnuts is extraordinary.
One nut - many healthy fats
Although the walnut may not seem particularly healthy at first glance with a
high fat content of 62g fat per 100g
,
it is
rich in healthy fatty acids
and can even help with weight loss. If you eat too little fat, it can lead to a weak immune system and a reduced ability to learn. Even
a handful of walnuts a day provides you with important healthy fatty acids.
These micronutrients are found in walnuts
Not only are the macronutrients that a food contains essential and healthy, but the micronutrients such as minerals and vitamins are also an important component. The walnut can not only score with healthy fats, but also contains various important micronutrients . In particular, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and iron are present in the walnut in larger quantities.
Breakfast with walnuts
Incorporating walnuts into your healthy eating plan is not difficult at all, as there are so many different options. On the one hand, you can use the healthy walnuts as a whole as a topping for your cereal , granola or porridge and simply eat the whole walnuts as a snack.
On the other hand, you can also easily integrate chopped or grated walnuts into cakes, muffins, etc. when baking.
Walnuts are also good for savory dishes. For example, they can be combined very well with cheese. They are also good as a salad topping.
Walnuts are almost always included in nut mixes as well . Just take a handful of nuts as a snack per day and you can easily benefit from the benefits of walnuts and other nuts.
So you see, it's not hard to incorporate walnuts into your daily diet. Simply combine the walnuts with oatmeal in the porridge or cereal for a really healthy breakfast from Verival. If you still need some inspiration on how to better incorporate walnuts into your diet, here's a recipe:
Vegan Walnut Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 brown bananas
- 50 g oatmeal
- 100 g spelt flour
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon crushed flaxseed
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 60 g walnuts
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 70 ml plant-based drink
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder (as desired)
Preparation
-
First, preheat your oven to 180 degrees (convection).
-
Next, use a fork to crush the 2 bananas into a porridge and then place the mixture in a bowl.
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Next, place the walnuts in a food processor until they are crushed and add them to the bananas.
-
Then let the coconut oil melt and add it to your mixture.
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Next, add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix all the ingredients well until a creamy dough is formed.
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Then place the dough for the banana bread in a box tin. If necessary, lightly grease the mould.
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If you want, you can also add a few whole walnut kernels on top of the dough as decoration.
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Now put the banana bread in the oven for about 40 minutes. If the bread becomes too dark at the top, you can also cover it with some foil.
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After the baking time, remove the banana bread from the oven and let it cool briefly. Then you can take the banana bread out of the mold and cut it into pieces.
